Monday, October 25, 2010

"We had a look at the VLC player for iPhone last week but now it is available for general consumption. While there are some issues, you can now play a much wider array of movie formats on the iPhone."

VLC for the iPad is already in the iTunes Store [link], and now you can also get one for the iPhone [link]. Both are free, and in version 1.1.0 you get a version that runs on the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and the latest version of iPod Touches. With this version it also recognizes more extensions and is optimized for faster decoding, while also allowing you to delete files from within the application so you don't have to go through iTunes.

"If you're in the market for a new Twitter client for the iPad, one that will seduce you with good looks or woo you with custom interfaces, keep walking. Tweet Library from Riverfold Software will do none of these things. If you're a Twitter user who wishes you could organize and collect incoming tweets while filtering out others based on specific content, or you have a thing for minimalist user interfaces, then read on."

Interesting app for the iPad, customizable if you want total control over what information you are seeing in your stream. You can also store all of your tweets locally if you want to save them, up to 3200 anyway. It also allows you to export tweets in .csv format, among many other features. The cost? Yea it's a bit steep at $9.99 USD so I don't think I'll be using it since I'm not a hardcore Twitter user, but for those of you that are it might be worth checking out. Here is the link if you are interested [affiliate link].

Thursday, October 21, 2010

"Keeping entirely with the advertised "Back to the Mac" invitation that showed a lion peeking out from behind a brushed aluminum apple, Apple today presented a preview of features we can expect to see in the next big cat-Mac OS X Lion (Apple never used a version number, but we presume it will be 10.7)."

It is like they are melding OS X into iOS or vice versa, giving you the ability to create folders on your desktop, as well as providing a Mac App Store (which is set to open in 90 days according to Jobs), a home screen called "LaunchPad" and full screen apps. All this and more with the latest incarnation of OS X called "Lion."

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

"It has been a few months since Microsoft updated its Bing iPhone and iPod touch app with any substantial features, but today they have decided to put an end to that streak. Bing v1.3 adds new travel and map features that bring it much closer to the company's desktop search tool."

Flight information from a link on the home screen is one addition, that also helps you find some deals on your last minute and weekend travel plans. You can also search by destination or estimate costs for other dates and airports. The map is also changed a bit, so now the background has business listings, traffic tie ups and other labels. And to top it off you can use it in list view or map view, which when you add it all together, it means this free app [link] has a lot of value to it.

Monday, September 27, 2010

"Google recently extended its contract with Apple, making the dominant search provider the default option on devices running iOS, including the iPhone."

image credit: Wired

In the spirit of coopetition, Google has extended its contract with Apple to remain the default search provider on the iPhone (and iOS devices). Interesting to read Eric Schmidt's comments about how Apple and Google are, and will remain, close. Microsoft's Bing, rumored at one point to be in line to replace Google now has to settle for being an option on iOS 4 devices. Anyone have any strong feelings one way or another in the Google vs Bing battle?

Friday, September 24, 2010

"The new version of the Dropbox app now caches retrieved files up to a size limit that you set. As with favorites, it tracks updates, so you can reload a file that has changed since it was cached."

I use Dropbox often enough that I upgraded to 50GBs of storage, so I'm always glad to see new features in the Dropbox app. The app now allows you to set a size limit of recently accessed files to store on the device. It also has settings for picture and video quality which affects the way those types of files are compressed on your iOS device. All in all, these are great features to have.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

"With iOS 4.1, Apple released a completely new social gaming platform for the iPhone, iPod touch and in November, the iPad called Game Center. Game Center is the mobile equivalent of Nintendo's Wii Network Play, Xbox Live, or Playstation Network. When you download games that have been designed to support Game Center, you can interact with leaderboards, special per-game achievements, and even multiplayer support complete with VoIP."

A step-by-step walk through of the new Game Center that comes with iOS 4.1. I have signed up (you can find me as Oduibne), I haven't had much of a chance to play any of the so far limited games that are available. You can also find some cursory information at Apple, or check out the list of available games on iTunes.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

"Too busy to read our liveblog coverage of Apple's September iPod Event? Everything you need to know about Apple's new products is below the fold, including details about the new iPod Shuffle, Nano, iPod Touch, AppleTV, iTunes and iOS update."

Pretty good summary of yesterday's Apple event, in case you weren't following along on any number of the live blogs or the live streaming by Apple. As you may have guessed, I was pretty excited about the Apple TV portion and I think they are on the right track with it. The price point is low enough, I think, that this will become more than just a "hobby" for Apple, and topping it off with the Netflix integration is icing on the cake. Definitely a big step in the right direction. The other high point for me was the update to iTunes with Ping. Seems like a logical way to keep track of your favorite artists and find out information on their next concert. The social aspect of it wasn't that big of a deal for me, but I can see how it might be for others. And of course the fixing of the proximity sensor was a big deal, especially since reports had it that it would not be fixed with this update. How about you? What were your highlights from yesterday's event?

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

"As expected, Apple refreshed its iPod lineup Wednesday, unveiling redesigned versions of its iPod touch, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle music players. But the company didn't stop there, using its annual fall music event to also announce an update to its iTunes software and an overhaul of its Apple TV set-top box."

Lots of new and improved products from Apple announced today. Almost everything available today, with the exception of the new $99 smaller Apple TV, shipping in about four weeks. Some additional welcomed news: iOS 4.1 will be available shortly and will include bug fixes and GameCenter; iOS 4.2 will be available in November, and will bring the iPad feature-set equivalence with the iPhone, and will also introduce iPad printing. Details can be found here [ link ].

Monday, August 23, 2010

"StumpleUpon - the ultimate discovery engine that finds the best of the web, customized to your preferences randomly + recommendations from millions of other users who share similar interests."

I've always been a fan of the Stumbleupon plugin for Firefox, and I'm glad to see Stumbleupon available for the iPhone. If you've never used it, think of it like a remote control for the internet, where you can pick the topics you like and then stumble onto random sites in those categories. It's like channel surfing for the web. It's a great way to kill time in line or while waiting for an appointment. I downloaded the app as soon as I found out it was available, and played with it for a while. I only intended to be using it for a few minutes, and found myself still peering at the screen an hour later. You need a Stumbleupon account to use the app, but the accounts are free and so is the app. If you don't have an account, you can set it one up using the app.

This looks like it might be an interesting streaming option. If it works as expected, you'll be able to watch movies on your home media center devices like a Blu-ray player, and finish watching them on your iPad or iPhone after you walk out the door. Both Sonic Solutions and Widevine have a history of providing quality streaming services, so I'm sure this will be an app to watch.

Monday, August 2, 2010

"The US Army isn't the only security force adopting Apple's iOS devices for training and military operations; the UK is also now actively using iPad to train its soldiers."

Interesting to read that both US and UK armed forces are now producing training materials for use on an iPad. They say that the iPad makes learning quicker and more interesting (the term fun was used), in essence, more game-like. I do wonder how well the iPad would do in a crisis situation where the training material is needed, as opposed to using a paper manual or printed instructions. Sorry, captain, I couldn't respond because the battery in my iPad died? Oh oh. Now where did that paper copy go?

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

"When congress calls, Apple answers. According to CNet, Apple general counsel and senior vice president of legal and government affairs, Bruce Sewell, has sent two congressmen a 13-page letter detailing the whys and wherefores of Apple's policies and procedures for collecting location-based data."

iPhone users have expressed privacy concerns over Apple's practice of collecting location-based data for use in applications and advertising. Congress was listening, and asked Apple to explain their policies and procedures. Apple's 13-page response described in detail how everything works, including their privacy policies, and how latitide and longitude information is converted to a ZIP code for use by iAds and Apps. In iOS 3.2 and later, information is stored in Apple's own proprietary format using information that they've collected from cell towers and WiFi access points - they no longer use Google or Skyhook Wireless databases. They stressed that personally-identifyable data is -not- stored anywhere. Congress seemed to be satisfied with Apple's responses - for now.

Friday, July 16, 2010

"After days of being pilloried for the iPhone 4's antenna problems, Apple CEO Steve Jobs took to the stage in Cupertino, California to respond."

Image Credit: CNET

And he responded with an offer most won't refuse: a free case or bumper. Starting at the end of next week you will be able to go online and submit your request at Apple for a bumper or another approved case, and if you already purchased a bumper you can apply for a refund.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

"Here's something that will either warm your heart or make you gag, depending how you feel about Apple's penchant for self-congratulatory schmaltz."

Makes you want to go get that developer's kit doesn't it? They even work in a not so subtle jab at Android by saying it's nice to be working on a platform that is mature and not something "invented two years ago."

"As rumored, Apple has released an official retail store app. Simply called "App Store," the new app lets users shop the full line of products available at The Apple Store. But it's more than shopping."

It's actually called "Apple Store" so make sure if you search you use the correct title or it won't come up right away. You can read reviews, locate retail stores and check in on the in-store events, all from this new free app from Apple. You can also schedule appointments at the Genius Bar or One on One sessions. You can download it now for free.

Monday, June 14, 2010

"The newest iPhone comes out in two weeks; the Android OS continues to deploy on better and better hardware; and both operating systems roll out exciting new features and innovations with each release. So which deserves your hard-earned cash?"

Interesting comparison of the two systems, broken down into individual capabilities by LifeHacker. The measured 20 of the categories they most cared about and declared a winner for each one, so you can kind of match up the categories you care about as well and see which one will suit you better. They gave the Apps category a tie, which seems rather odd to me since you can't even compare the two app stores but they base it on apps being denied and that there is a lot of "crap" in the iTunes App Store. Hmm, maybe so, but at least I know the apps will work correctly on my iPhone. Anyway, you can judge for yourself!

Friday, June 11, 2010

"Apple today released a new App Store application called iTunes Connect Mobile, designed to help developers access sales data for their applications distributed through the App Store."

According to Apple, "the iTunes Connect Mobile application allows developers to access their sales and trend data from iTunes Connect. You can now view your daily and weekly sales data related to updates, paid and free apps as well as In-App purchases. Whether at the office, at home or on the go, iTunes Connect Mobile keeps you informed about your sales numbers right on your iPhone or iPod touch." There ya go!